NEWMARKET — Not many teams can highlight the kind of basketball success over the past five years like the Newmarket High School boys team. That stretch includes five straight trips to at least the semifinals, including two appearances in the state championship game.

The only thing missing is a state championship.

The Mules' latest edition would like to change all that. They may have the talent, experience and eventual depth to help Newmarket win its first title since 1986 in old Class M.

Led by first-team all-state senior guard Christian Hawkins, the Mules return eight players from last year, including six seniors. Newmarket went 18-3 overall in 2011-12, losing in the semifinals to Littleton, 68-61.

There will be some emotion involved for the Mules, who played out the end of last season with heavy hearts. Popular junior varsity and varsity assistant coach Robert “Bert” McGloughlin Sr. died from complications after having open heart surgery two days before the semifinal game. He was 44.

The team has dedicated this season in his memory.

“It's motivation to get better, so we can play better for him,” said senior tri-captain Josh Eisfeller.

“It's something that brings us together,” added senior tri-captain Peter Carlson. “We're using that to build a really strong team.”

Eisfeller, at 6-foot-6 is part of a front line that is the biggest in D-IV. Carlson is 6-5, rugged junior Jake Valinski, an all-state football player, is 6-2, and senior Zach Jarosz comes off the bench at 6-4.

Couple that size with 6-1 shooting guard Sean Fleming and the multi-talented Hawkins running the point and you have a Newmarket team that can beat you a lot of ways.

“Christian is difficult to defend,” said coach Jamie Hayes. “We see it every day in practice. We have guys he blows right by. He can take you off the bounce. He can shoot the three. He can take a dribble and pull up. He just has a lot of weapons. It's hard to stop him with one guy. It's going to open up things for the other guys.”

What makes this all the scarier is we're talking about a team that prides itself on defense.

Hayes said the team has allowed on the average 35 points a game over the last couple seasons.

“If you have an off night, you only have to worry about scoring 36,” he said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“What I like about our guys,” Hayes added, “is we don't have a scorer that we have to worry about hiding on defense. We're not afraid to get up and defend.”

Expectations are high, even higher than they were four or five years ago. The Mules wouldn't have it any other way. They like being viewed as one of the better teams in the division.

“It gets to the point where the expectations are different,” Hayes said. “In the past it was an accomplishment to get to the semifinals, to get to the championship. Now it's an expectation. Where we've been there, let's finish the task here.”

That's the long-term goal.

In the short term, Hayes said, “we're keeping them focused on how we're going to do that. We have to get better every day. We have to work hard every day.”

Something that in early December is already ingrained in the starters like Hawkins.

“We've got to play every game like it's a playoff game,” Hawkins said. “We have to go in with the same intensity and focus.”